A company will not run without its employees. But for a business to run smoothly and successfully, a captain must lead the ship in the right direction. This is why leadership in any organization is important.
According to Forbes, leadership has the biggest influence on company culture. It affects staff engagement, the company environment, and its clients. Leadership influences staff confidence in performing their duties. This is why leaders should be great examples; they could either make or break the company.
Abusive Leadership
An article published by Ohio State University talks about abusive leadership. It states that abusive leadership leads to counter-productivity and increases the rate of employees leaving the organization. Hence, this type of leadership must be avoided.
How exactly do you avoid being a bully boss? The key is in asking your colleagues’ perceptions of how you lead.
Abusive leadership is defined by how your subordinates perceive you, usually in a negative light. Examples of a bully boss’s behaviors include taking credit for subordinates’ output, invading privacy, or publicly ridiculing employees.
It is important to know these kinds of behavior to be conscious of how you act around your subordinates. As a leader, you must know the importance of feedback in any business. Feedback allows you to understand what you are doing and what you need to do to improve.
A Great Leader
Any person would like to perform well in their job. A leader is no exception. We already talked about the value of feedback in improving leadership skills, but there are many more ways to enhance it.
1. Building trust
Just as you want your customers to build trust in your brand, you should also build a good relationship with your employees as a leader. You can do this by getting to know them better. You must get to understand what their interests, personality, hobbies, and goals are.
Doing this will give you an insight into what motivates them in their daily lives. It also promotes a happy culture in the organization; it ultimately adds to an employee’s motivation to work every day.
2. Encourage growth
A good leader does not compete with their subordinates or bring them down. A great leader should encourage an employee’s ambitions and desire to grow professionally. It’s not just about being a cheerleader, though. You must find ways to manage a budget or incentive program for employees who want to learn and advance their careers.
A Berkeley online article stresses the importance of career growth for an individual’s motivation and productivity. As a leader, giving attention to a subordinate’s career growth plans helps you keep top talent and foster company loyalty.
3. Keeping it positive
Your attitude affects an employee’s behavior. If you’re grumpy, chances are, your subordinates will feel fear or intimidation. It is very counterproductive and decreases an employee’s desire to go to work. If they decide to go to work, chances are, they are too scared and will end up making mistakes.
This is why having a positive attitude as a boss is important. Even if you’re having a bad day related to work or business, you should show your employees that you are calm and handle any difficult situation with grace. This boosts employee morale and confidence because they know that you can run a tight ship.
Leadership at home
As a leader, you might have already noticed that an employee’s motivation is affected not just by the company environment but the environment they have at home. You are no different. Therefore, to become a good leader, you must start at home.
Fostering a great relationship with your family is important. Having a work-life balance increases your positivity; you carry this with you when you come to work.
Another important factor you need to consider is an organized home. When you have an organized home, you get to have a relaxing environment where you can properly rest after work. For example, having efficient custom closet systems at home leave you with a clutter-free space; having this kind of system eliminates the stress you have to go through every morning looking for work clothes. A stress-free morning at home means a good start to the day at work.
Practicing organizational skills at home can also allow you to form a habit to carry in the office. When employees see how organized you are, it sends a positive signal and sets a great example. It sends an image to your subordinates and your clients that you have it all together.
Lead by example
Ultimately, a great leader leads by example. One must not dictate but work hand-in-hand with his employees to achieve a unified goal– the company’s success and the success of one another.
